One Piece Chapter 1138: Shamrock’s Cerberus — Shanks’ Twin and the Blueprint for the Final Battle

The Feline Café Recreated

扉絵 フーズ・フー ネコ科フェ
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Yamato’s Cover Page Series Vol. 24: “It was Who’s Who’s hideout!”

Inside were remnants of the Feline Café from the fourth floor of Onigashima Castle. The hideout even recreated the torii gate with the “Cat” sign — and there was Kouzaburou’s stolen sword and the kidnapped daughters. Does that make the next cover page Yamato vs. Who’s Who? A serious battle between powerful characters would be rare for the cover series.

フーズ・フー 面子 扉絵
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Model: Cerberus

ケルベロス
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Shamrock’s true identity revealed alongside his combat power: his weapon ate a Mythical Zoan fruit! Cerberus emerged from Shamrock’s weapon — the same logic as Funkfreed, the sword that ate the Elephant-Elephant Fruit, which Spandam used at Enies Lobby. A sword has a mouth, which is why it can eat a Devil Fruit.

象剣ファンクフリード
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Once again, Loki and Franky are being overlapped: both were attacked by a sword that ate a Devil Fruit. It really does confirm that Franky’s model is the Norse trickster Loki.

ファンクフリード 象剣 フランキー
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

The End of the Blackbeard Cerberus Theory

黒ひげ
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Many theorists had argued that Blackbeard could eat both the Dark-Dark and Quake-Quake fruits because he originally ate the Cerberus Fruit and had three heads — citing the evidence of his face sometimes being drawn with differently missing teeth. This chapter puts that theory to rest.

Shamrock Was the Twin Brother

シャムロック 双子
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

From young Garling’s line in the past, it was already confirmed that Shanks had a sibling. What remained uncertain was whether there were three or more with the same face — twins is now confirmed.

Contrast with Shanks

Does that mean Shanks also has his left arm and a weapon that ate a Mythical Zoan fruit? If his Conqueror’s Haki is at the same level, isn’t he literally the strongest?

Shamrock’s sword Cerberus guards the gate to the underworld. Shanks’ sword Gryphon guards treasure and sacred places. The Gryphon is a composite of eagle and lion — the mightiest of sky and earth. Cerberus is a composite of dog and snake — hellish in imagery.

グリフォン シャンクス 擬人化
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

The Gryphon carries connotations of nobility and sanctity; Cerberus leans toward fear and death. Both are guardians, but the Gryphon guards sacred treasure and wisdom while Cerberus guards the underworld’s order. One is the Guardian of Light; the other, the Guardian of Darkness.

The Reason for Shanks’ Tears

シャンクス ロジャー 
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

The fact that Shanks once returned to Mariejois makes it possible to analyze that scene. Roger had found the One Piece, the adventure was over, and since he had no time left he was going to turn himself in. He likely said something like: “I’m disbanding the Roger Pirates — go back where you were born.”

Wait — this is basically Sabo’s story! Shanks has almost the exact same life as Sabo!

サボ ブルージャム
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

The Meaning of D

半月 Dの意味
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

The information density on this page is overwhelming. There’s no way to cover it all in one article. For now: this has to be the half-moon figure. I’ll analyze this more carefully in a separate article.

Blueprint for the Final Battle

ハーレイ 最終決戦
Image: ONE PIECE © Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

This chapter’s final image contains several major flags for what’s to come:

  • Emeth will move again
  • Enel’s return is confirmed
  • When Noah moves, the Final War is at hand
  • The machine-like factory on the far right — could that be Pluton?